2016-08-30 - Jack and Amys Oregon Vacation - Day 3

Jack and Amy's 2016 Oregon Vacation

Day 3
 From Portland to Prospect

Tuesday, August 30th, 2016

Early Morning at the Columbia River Gorge, Vista House at Crown Point, Mount Hood over Trillium Lake, 
The Crooked River Gorge, Smith Rock, Tumalo Falls, Double Falls, Worthy Brewing Company in Bend, Diamond Lake, Pearsoney Falls, Avenue of Giants, Mill Creek Falls, Barr Creek Falls, and the Katydid Ranch in Prospect, OR.

Amy at Trillium Lake with Mount Hood as an awesome backdrop!

Crater Lake is one of those places that has been on my bucket list for a while!  However, we debated whether of not we really wanted to do the 5-6 hours drive (each way) from Portland.  Ultimately we decided that we would never get a chance to see Crater Lake if we were not willing to drive, so we incorporated it into our itinerary.

Rather than staying inside the Park, Amy found accommodations at the 100+ acre Katydid Ranch in Prospect, OR about 30 miles outside Crater Lake National Park.  So day 3 of our Oregon Vacation would be our journey from Portland to Prospect!

Our Route for the Day

Amy requested that I let her sleep in, but I got up early as usual and decided to make one last trip into the Columbia River Gorge to hopefully catch a sunrise.  It was an overcast morning and the sun never really broke through the clouds. Nothing spectacular, but still a pretty sight.

 Overcast Sunrise over the Columbia River Gorge

Our plan was to break up the trip by making a few stops along the way.  Even though we visited Trillium Lake the previous day, I really hoped to capture one of those reflection shots of Mount Hood.  The water was calmer than the previous day, but still not the mirror like reflection I was hoping for!

Mount Hood Reflection at Trillium Lake

We continued on through the ever changing landscape of Oregon stopping at a few more roadside overlooks.

 Roadside View!

Much different than the Portland Area and the Columbia River Gorge!

Roadside View

We made a short stop at the Peter Skene Ogden Scenic Viewpoint which offered up some great views of the Crooked River Gorge.

 The Crooked River Gorge

 Me at the Crooked River Gorge

About 15 minutes after getting back into our rental car, we spotted a cool looking rock, so we turned off the main road to get a closer look.

Smith Rock

Smith Rock is actually the centerpiece of a State Park.  However, we only had time for a few quick roadside shots.

Smith Rock

Our only planned stop along the way was to Tumalo Falls outside of Bend, OR.  This one turned out to be a beauty!

Tumalo Falls

I continued the hike about a mile upstream to Double Falls a nice double tiered cascade.

Double Falls

After our hike, we broke for lunch at the Worthy Brewing Company. 

Enjoying a Flight at the Worthy Brewing Company

Continuing our drive, we made one more stop along the way to check out Diamond Lake

Diamond Lake

We arrived at our accommodations at the Katydid Ranch, got unpacked, and settled in. 

 The Bunkhouse at the Katydid Ranch (our Accommodations for the next 2 nights)

Sandy Fey (our rental vehicle for the week) is parked in front

Amy was into relaxation mode for the rest of the day, but I decided there was time for one more short hike.

The Mill Creek Falls Scenic Area is located in downtown Prospect about 5 minutes from the ranch.

 The Mill Creek Falls Scenic Area Trailhead Sign

A short hike of about 2 miles total took me to three waterfalls plus a section of the Rogue River known as the Avenue of Giants.

Pearsoney Falls

 

 The Avenue of Giants.  My photo does not do this justice!  These boulders are HUGE!

 Mill Creek Falls

Barr Creek Falls

I finished up my hike and returned back to the ranch just in time for Sunset.  We could not find a good  spot to view the actual sunset, but we were definitely able to see the sky explode with color!

Sunset at the Katydid Ranch

Later that evening I finished up the day with a little night photography.

Night Sky over the Katydid Ranch Barn

 

The complete set of photos from Day 3 of our Oregon Vacation is posted here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/8146392@N05/albums/72157672590442881

2016-08-29 - Jack and Amys Oregon Vacation - Day 2

Jack and Amy's 2016 Oregon Vacation

Day2
 Columbia River Gorge and the Mount Hood Area

Monday, August 29th, 2016

Bridal Veil Falls, Oneonta Gorge, Lower Oneonta Falls, Horsetail Falls, Elowah Falls, Upper McCord Creek Falls,
The Bridge of the Gods, Cascade Locks, Hood River, Full Sail Brewing Company, Double Mountain Brewery, 
Mount Hood, Trillium Lake, Little Zig Zag Falls, Upper Latourell Falls

 Amy and Jack on the Bridal Veil Trail overlooking the Columbia River

For our second day, Amy and I would head back into the Columbia River Gorge starting with Bridal Veil Falls.  This is an Amy approved, mile long (round trip) hike to this 120-ft waterfall!

 

Bridal Veil Falls

Amy and Jack at Bridal Veil Falls

 A Fisherman downstream from Bridal Veil Falls

In addition to the waterfalls, there are also some nice views of the Columbia River along the way!

Amy on the Bridal Veil Trail overlooking the Columbia River

Next up would be the Oneonta Gorge and Lower Oneonta Falls.  This is another short hike of just over a mile (round trip).  However, this one is not be Amy approved so I ventured into the Gorge Solo!

 The Oneonta Gorge "Trailhead"

The first challenge would be a huge Log Jam!

A Huge Log Jam in the Oneonta Gorge

Most of this slot canyon requires that you get your feet wet.  However there is one section that unless you can scale rock walls, the only way to go is through chest high water!

Wading through the Oneonta Gorge Slot Canyon

The reward is the awesome 100-foot tall Lower Oneonta Falls!

Lower Oneonta Falls

I returned back the way I came and met back up with Amy to continue our drive into the Columbia River Gorge.

Horsetail Falls was not on my high priority list, but since it is roadside, we made a quick stop for a few photos.

 Horsetail Falls

 Horsetail Falls

Next up Amy joined me on a hike to Elowah Falls, a 213-foot beauty!

 Elowah Falls

 Amy and Jack at Elowah Falls

I would continue the hike solo up to Upper McCord Creek Falls.

 Upper McCord Creek Falls

This one was nice, but the views from the trail was what really made this hike worthwhile!

view from the trail to Upper McCord Creek Falls

We continued our drive into Cascade Locks, OR where we stopped to check out the Bridge of the Gods!

View from the Bridge of the Gods

Amy on the Bridge of the Gods

We had lunch at the Full Sail Brewery in Hood River, OR

Enjoying a Flight at the Full Sail Brewing Company

Hood River is a great little town!  Amy decided to stroll around some of the shops, while I waited for her at the Double Mountain Brewery!

The Double Mountain Brewery

Instead of heading back the way we came, we decided to take advantage of the clear sky and drive the long way back around Mount Hood.    We stopped at several places along the way to photograph Oregon's tallest mountain!

 Mount Hood

 Mount Hood

Amy at Trillium Lake

Mount Hood from Trillium Lake

We also stopped for one more Amy Approved short and easy waterfall hike to Little Zig Zag Falls.

 Little Zig Zag Falls

Amy and Jack at Little Zig Zag Falls

Once back at our accommodations in Gresham, OR I decided to hit one last waterfall in the Columbia River Gorge.  We had done Latourell Falls the previous day, but since it was only about a 15 minute drive, I decided to return to do the hike to Upper Latourell Falls, a 2.5 mile loop hike.

The Upper Falls was not a impressive as the Lower Drop, but it was still a very enjoyable hike.

 Upper Latourell Falls

 Upper Latourell Falls

I had also hoped to catch the sunset, but I missed that by about 15 minutes.  There was still some nice twilight after glow to finish out my day!

Evening Twilight over the Columbia River Gorge

The complete set of photos from Day 2 is posted here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/8146392@N05/albums/72157673503661186